Improving steam power plant efficiency with novel steam cycle treatments

Abstract

A process for improving the efficiency of a steam power generation plant, the process providing utilizing steam or water from a steam cycle of a steam power plant; and supplying a steam cycle treatment to the steam cycle, thereby generating a hydrophobic coating within the steam cycle.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62 / 589,101 filed Nov. 21, 2017, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONField of Invention[0002]The present invention relates to methods and compositions for improving steam power plant efficiency, and more particularly, to improving steam power plant efficiency through the use of novel steam cycle additives or treatment.Description of Related Art[0003]In steam generating systems, such as power plants, condensers are used to convert steam from a gas to a liquid, after it has passed through a steam turbine. Different forms of condensers are used where the heat from the condensing steam is rejected to a gas, as in an air cooled condenser (ACC), or to a liquid, as in a water cooled condenser (WCC). In a WCC, the condenser comprises a large number of condenser tubes through which the water passes and the st...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The invention describes a way to improve the efficiency of a steam power generation plant by adding a chemical called a steam cycle additive to the water or steam cycle. This results in a low surface energy coating on the steam turbine and condenser surfaces, which increases the overall efficiency of the system.

Problems solved by technology

This formed liquid film however, acts as a barrier to additional heat rejection to the cooling working fluid and results in a decrease in the overall efficiency of the condensation process.

It has been previously demonstrated that providing a hydrophobic or low surface energy coating to the condenser in a steam power plant will decrease the heat transfer resistance of the condensation process.

Unfortunately, creation of this surface to date requires costly manufacturing of the condenser tubes to create such a coating prior to installation of the condenser in the plant, or taking the steam plant off-line to retrofit it.

This method also suffers from rapid degradation of the coating under operational conditions, thus rendering it ineffective for long-term improvements in efficiency.

Wet steam flow in steam turbines leads to degraded efficiency and blade erosion in the turbine stages.

Large droplets leave the flow path of the steam and impact the downstream blades causing momentum losses to the turbine.

This means that a part of the impulse of the working medium is not transferred onto the blades, thus resulting in a moisture loss that reduces the degree of efficiency of the low-pressure turbine.

Furthermore, accumulations of water at the inside surfaces of the housing of the low-pressure turbine result in dissipative friction losses on the rotating blade tips and blade shrouds.

However, the challenge has been in the manufacturing and application of the film / coating, as previous applications of such coatings involve manufacturing the steam turbine components with an additional coating or taking the steam power plant off-line to retrofit it.

In addition to adding cost to the steam turbine, operational conditions have proven to destroy the properties of the coating, thus rendering it ineffective for long-term improvements in efficiency.

In addition to steam power plant condensers, industrial turbines can become output limited due to inadequate cooling capacity of the condenser (especially in the hottest months of the year) which increases turbine back pressure and thus increases the amount of condensate formed within the turbine itself.

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